Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the expression levels of microRNA (miRNA)-214 in tumor tissue, blood and saliva of patients with gingival carcinoma, and to investigate the mechanisms underlying the infiltration and invasion of gingival carcinoma. Between January 2013 and March 2015, blood and saliva samples, gingival carcinoma tumor specimens and peritumoral tumor tissues were harvested from 56 patients with gingival carcinoma. Blood and saliva samples were also harvested from 33 control patients without gingival carcinoma. Reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‑qPCR) was performed to detect miRNA‑214 and protein tyrosine phosphatase gene (PTEN) mRNA levels. Western blotting and ELISA were performed to detect PTEN protein levels. The results of RT‑qPCR demonstrated that the expression of PTEN mRNA in tumor tissues, blood and saliva of patients with gingival carcinoma were significantly decreased compared with that of the control group (P<0.05). These findings were consistent were consistent with the results of PTEN protein expression detected via western blotting and ELISA in these samples (P<0.05). Conversely, the expression levels of miRNA‑214 in these samples were significantly increased (P<0.05) in patients with gingival carcinoma compared with the control group. The decreased expression of PTEN may be associated with the expression of miRNA‑214. miRNA‑214 may regulate infiltration and invasion of gingival carcinoma via PTEN. These results suggest that miRNA‑214 may be used as a marker of gingival carcinoma.